pumpkin fest 2024

at the end of this day, i was considering two options for my rolleiflex:

• never bringing it out in public again

or

• using only this one from now on and putting all the others in cryosleep

but why, you ask?? well, let’s back up a bit…

see i had spent the day at pumpkin fest 2024…

this is a weekend festival all about the harvest season, pumpkins, music, beer, crafts, food, train rides, etc. and i couldn’t make it down one block without having no less than three folks catch a glimpse of my camera and ask me about it.

“ohhh does that still work?”

“that’s so cool, so do people still shoot film?”

“awesome camera! does it work still?”

“hey cool camera! is that like a modern replica or the original thing?”

etc. etc.

i was surprised by how many people asked me about it. the rolleiflex is usually a crowd pleaser, but never like that…perhaps people in this town are naturally curious and social??

but hopefully i converted a few more people to the cause…one person even asked for a recommendation on a beginner TLR, so I hope they google what i gave them and then fall deep into the rabbit hole that is film photography and never come up for air again…mwahaha!!

anyways, i wanted to share some of the photos because a couple of them came out so darn cute!

like this mini human and a pet duck that came onto the scene, totally stealing the show.

there were also witches…lots of witches…

and one very odd crow (or raven?) that wandered into my shot here…

i shot a roll of expired agfa optima film that film friends had given me, thanks @photoprendie and @serenasnapped (instagram handles).

i wasn’t sure how it would come out and the negatives didn’t look great after development (which i added extra time to), but they aren’t too bad!

i even shot this one above at 1/15 of a sec at f3.5!

this woman above had an incredibly cool business where she used electrical currents to burn lightening-esque designs into wood.

every time i get a roll developed and scanned from this camera, i think to myself…i really should use this MORE!

it was a lot of fun, but perhaps i will carry it behind me at a busy place next time so i can actually get down the street in a timely fashion…